COLSTRIP - Rancher Charles Kluver has never held much trust in
the companies strip-mining around Colstrip.

And last week, when he discovered what he believed to be an
unauthorized dump in a strip mine on his property, he felt that his
suspicions were vindicated.

"These coal companies have said what great reclamation they
have," he said. "But they show you what they want you to see."

'Inert' debris

Kluver has since been informed by the Department of
Environmental Quality that the state permits the some dumping of
"inert" debris in pit mines.

"All these mines around here, they've been permitting it," he
said. "Who's keeping track? I have no idea."

Kluver discovered the pile of debris last week while making a
routine check.

From far above, the waste is dwarfed by the strip mine that
surrounds it. But the reddish-brown heap of soil, laced with an odd
assortment of scrap metal and wood, plastics and even an old barrel
and boiler, extends roughly 170 yards long, 20 feet wide and 12
feet deep. There's no telling what else the pile contains, Kluver
said, noting that he is concerned about possible contaminants
leaching through and polluting the groundwater.

"Thirty or 40 years from now, I don't want my kids or grandkids
dealing with pollution that they don't even know what's there," he
said.

The pile is tucked deep in shadow, at the base of a
120-foot-high pile of overburden, leading Kluver to believe that
Western Energy, the company mining his land, intended to cover it
up.

Before it could be buried forever, Kluver contacted Rosebud
County Sheriff Randy Allies, who joined Kluver for an on-site
inspection. Allies took photos and alerted the state DEQ.

Under investigation

Bob Montgomery of Western Energy declined to comment, saying
Monday the matter was under investigation by the DEQ.

On Tuesday, Kluver was contacted by Eric Urban, who is in charge
of enforcement and inspection for the DEQ's coal program. He said
Western Energy had contacted the agency months ago to report that
it planned to dump the remnants of an old homestead into the
pit.

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But no one told Kluver, who says the "old homestead" was
occupied as late as the 1990s. There was a modern house and shop,
he said, adding that the previous owners had also treated fence
posts there.

Urban said DEQ personnel visited the homestead several times to
determine what could and could not be placed in the pit.

"The placement of (inert) materials is allowed under specific
guidelines," Urban said, noting that several old cars and drums
from the homestead were kept from the debris pile.

While Urban would not say the practice is "common," it is not
all that unusual, either. He said the agency makes a monthly visit
to all mine sites in the area and has established good
relationships with the local mining companies. Because groundwater
in the area is being monitored, he said he doubts the companies
would bury contaminants that would eventually show up in the
reports.

But Kluver is not convinced.

"It (debris) belongs in the state landfill eight miles away," he
said. "They'll monitor that forever. As soon as they get this
reclaimed, they'll quit monitoring."

The results of this week's investigation should be complete in
the next 10 to 15 days, Urban said. If there's no indication of
impropriety, the agency would request that Western Energy, as a
good neighbor, remove the material. If hazardous materials have
been dumped in the pit illegally, the agency will take action, he
said.

"We'll be working closely with Mr. Kluver," he said. "They
(Western Energy) are neighbors. We've got to get better
communication between the two of them."

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